Here’s what experts predict could shake up the sports drinks market in 2021.

What could impact the sports drinks category in 2021?

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) has launched a new Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library) website, featuring an updated design that prioritizes user experience, welcomes a broader registry audience, and enables easier industry participation. The updated design represents the next phase of the Supplement OWL, following a series of 

When it comes to user experience, the new site provides clear navigation for each of the three different users: business participants, such as brand owners and suppliers, supplement users, and regulators. “We prioritized upgrading user experience,” said Gretchen Powers, CRN’s senior director of marketing and member experience, in a press release. “These enhancements help users, like consumers and regulators, find the information they need quickly and easily.”

Because regulators will be able to more easily access important product and manufacturer information, this will promote accountability to consumers and the broader industry. For business participants, they will now be able to add their products to the database more easily, using tools requested by them, and now with a cleaner, more attractive interface. For supplement users, they will be able to more easily identify products, their ingredients, and the companies behind them.

“Broad industry participation in the Supplement OWL is critical,” said Luke Huber, ND, MBA, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at CRN, in a press release. “This self-regulatory initiative serves as a model for mandatory product listing, proposed by FDA and supported by CRN and other responsible stakeholders in the industry.”

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The Council for Responsible Nutrition has launched a new Supplement OWL (Online Wellness Library) website, featuring an updated design that prioritizes user experience, welcomes a broader registry audience, and enables easier industry participation. 

CRN launches updated Supplement OWL website

In a message to members and attendees, the president of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Noel Anderson, PhD, announced that IFT’s 2021 annual event and food expo would be held virtually. The Board of Directors reached this decision in light of the ongoing pandemic, impacting IFT’s ability to offer a safe online event experience. Further details are to come in the near future, with registration opening in late April. According to IFT’s frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, the experience of the 2021 virtual event will differ from the previous Shift20 virtual event, based on feedback on the previous event.

According to the FAQ page, the 2021 event will, “provide personalized features and opportunities to meet and connect with new researchers, global peers, product solution providers, and suppliers to discuss, share, debate, and make new strategic connections to help you advance your work, your business, and food innovation. In addition, it will also offer new ways for you to easily and conveniently explore new ingredients, technologies, products, and solutions along with the latest science, trends, and research.”

The event is schedule for July 19-21, 2021.

In a message to members and attendees, the president of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Noel Anderson, PhD, announced that IFT’s 2021 annual event and food expo would be held virtually. 

IFT 2021 will be held virtually, says IFT president

Carlson launched Astaferm, vegetarian, non-GMO astaxanthin gummies with 8 mg of astaxanthin and 200 mg of vitamin C per serving. The gummies come in natural cherry flavor. The product utilizes Astaferm, a fermented astaxanthin from NextFerm Technologies Ltd.

“We are thrilled to see yet another leading brand in the supplement market taking advantage of our ground-breaking product and technology,” said Elzaphan Hotam, vice president of marketing, NextFerm Technologies, in a press release. “The secret ingredient here is our Astaferm, the only fermented astaxanthin on the market and the only one that comes as a highly concentrated powder with no flavor or odor. Our gummies are loaded with astaxanthin and vitamin C yet maintain great flavor and are vegetarian.”

“We decided to launch these gummies because we loved their flavor, and we believe that the combination of astaxanthin and vitamin C is both unique and important for our consumers, especially today,” said Carilyn Anderson, president of Carlson, in a press release. “We are excited to release this product online and throughout brick-and-mortar stores nationwide.”

Carlson launched Astaferm, vegetarian, non-GMO astaxanthin gummies with 8 mg of astaxanthin and 200 mg of vitamin C per serving. The product utilizes Astaferm, a fermented astaxanthin from NextFerm Technologies Ltd.

Carlson introduces Astaferm, astaxanthin gummies

Image Courtesy of Beats_.com - Stock.Adobe.com

Batory Foods (Rosemont, IL) introduced Batory Sweet Essentials, a new line of five FDA-GRAS high-intensity sweetener blends that replace sucrose, eliminating the need for manufacturers to reformulate recipes to offer lower sugar alternatives. Each blend provides adequate sweetness with no unpleasant aftertaste; they are pre-blended for ease-of-use in matching sweetness and functionality and meet clean-label standards. Each is low on the glycemic index, keto-friendly, and diabetic-friendly.

“Sugar reduction requires a delicate balance between flavor and function,” Parveen Werner, vice president, strategy, marketing innovation and commercial excellence at Batory Foods, Inc., said in a press release. “This is top of mind not only for product developers, but also sweetener specialists. Batory Sweet Essentials take the guesswork out of reducing or replacing sugar, making ingredients research and experimenting that much simpler.”

The Batory Sweet Essentials portfolio comprises five formulations with varying degrees of sweetness equivalence compared to sucrose:

B-Tru: erythritol, allulose, stevia extract. This can be used in baked goods, cereals, bars, yogurt (regular), gelatin/puddings and fillings, confections, jams and jellies, condiments (sauces & dressings), and beverages.

B-Intense: erythritol, allulose, steviol glycosides, stevia extract. This can be used in baked goods, cereals, bars, yogurt (regular), gelatin/puddings and fillings, confections, jams and jellies, condiments (sauces & dressings), and beverages.

B-Fiber: erythritol, soluble corn fiber, allulose, stevia extract. This can be used in frozen dairy and non-dairy desserts, baked goods, bars, cereals, confections, yogurt (regular and frozen), condiments (sauces & dressings), and beverages.

B-Clear(e): erythritol, steviol glycosides, stevia extract. This can be used in bars, bakery, cereals, fillings, confections, jams and jellies, condiments (sauces & dressings), and beverages.

B-Clear(a): allulose, steviol glycosides, stevia extract. This can be used in beverages, bakery, bars, frostings, fillings, confections, syrups, instant coffee and tea, condiments (sauces & dressings), and cereals.

Batory Foods introduced Batory Sweet Essentials, a new line of five FDA-GRAS high-intensity sweetener blends that replace sucrose, eliminating the need for manufacturers to reformulate recipes to offer lower sugar alternatives. 

Batory Foods launches line of high-intensity sweetener blends

 has found a potential link between probiotic supplementation and immune health in children. In the study, 21 healthy children between the ages of 13 and 36 months were recruited and given a probiotic combination of 

 Bi-07 (Howaru Protect Kids manufactured by IFF, formerly DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences; New York, NY). Blood samples were taken from each subject at the beginning and at the end of study (30 days).

Researchers isolated immune cells from the blood samples, called peripheral blood monocytic cells (PBMCs). These cells were then stimulated with a molecule that mimics a respiratory virus so that they could measure the PBMCs’ immune response to the stimulus. Immune response was compared to baseline. Results showed a change in immune markers following supplementation. Specifically, there was a significant decrease in myeloid progenitor inhibitory factor 1 (MPIF-1), a marginal decreases macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha (MIP-3α), and a trend toward an increase in interleukin 10 (IL-10). This points to a potential mechanism by which probiotic supplementation may relieve symptoms of viral upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, warranting further study.

“We are thrilled to further confirm the connection between probiotic supplementation and healthy immune response in children. This research propels us to further examine how we can continue to use probiotic bacteria to stimulate innate immune response in children and adults alike,” stated Liisa Lehtoranta, PhD, the study’s co-author and research and development manager for IFF, in a press release.

“We have seen parents be very enthusiastic about giving a probiotic supplement to their children. In this study, children who took a daily probiotic supplement showed an increase in immune functions that are believed to be involved with fighting cold viruses,” added Gregory DeMuri, MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, who also co-authored the study.

DeMuri GP et al. “Ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cell response to R848 in children after supplementation with the probiotic 

A recent open label pilot clinical trial has found a potential link between probiotic supplementation and immune health in children. 

Ex vivo study shows potential mechanism for probiotics in supporting children’s immune health

The COVID-19 pandemic has had unexpected effects on every industry, and the sports drinks space is no exception. And contrary to what you might assume, not all of the disruptions have been bad. For instance: while consumers have indeed been staying away from gyms and brick-and-mortar stores, market analysts say other channels are showing strong activity that demonstrates a fundamental resilience in the sports drinks space.

Some of the trends that emerged in 2020 could be here to stay. Ahead, we look at a few significant sports drinks market changes that experts predict could further unfold this year.

Sports drinks have been undergoing a transformation for the last several years, with more brands and SKUs incorporating functional ingredients in their formulations. Now, this functional drinks trend is seeing a further evolution in the form of hybrid functional drinks.

Holly McHugh, former marketing associate for beverage development company Imbibe (Niles, IL), explained in December how the new hybrid beverages are the next major trend in sports nutrition. “Hybrid sports drinks are designed to help active consumers fulfill performance and recovery goals by incorporating several functional ingredients into one beverage for multiple benefits,” McHugh said. “Energy drinks are a common platform for hybrid beverages. There are energy drinks on the market that are enhanced with ingredients like creatine, electrolytes, BCAA, and green coffee extract.”

McHugh said ingredients like BCAA and L-carnitine are being incorporated into muscle recovery drinks, while performance-enhancing drinks are combining ingredients like creatine and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil with focus-boosting nootropics like lion’s mane mushroom extract and L-theanine. Furthermore, these drinks tend to have high protein content, incorporating proteins from plant-based sources such as pea and brown rice.

COVID-19 Increases Interest in Healthy Drinks

While sports drinks have been trending toward “better for you” claims for years, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this change. Floris Daamen, segment marketing manager, performance nutrition, for FrieslandCampina Ingredients (Amersfoort, The Netherlands), says the pandemic boosted consumer awareness around health and wellness in general and the link between nutrition and health specifically.

“With organized sports and gyms around the world unavailable for a significant portion of the year, more people are searching for ways to take their health into their own hands,” Daamen says. “This includes seeking additional health benefits from their usual eating and drinking habits.”

Daamen says consumers are making healthier choices out of concern for their overall health but are also looking for indulgent treats and snacks to support their mental well-being and to help them cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend, he says, could be driving growth in sports drinks that have both a positive health claim and a satisfying taste.

Not only that, Daamen predicts, “I think sports drinks will soon start to explore other prevalent consumer issues. Research suggests that as many as 30% to 50% of athletes suffer from gastrointestinal problems, which may impair performance or recovery. Earlier this year we launched our new Biotis brand, which uses galacto-oligosaccharide prebiotics to support digestive health.”

E-Commerce Takes Over. Are Brands Prepared?

Traditionally, sports drinks sales tend to happen in-store. Now, however, more consumers are opting to buy online as the COVID-19 pandemic prompts them to avoid unnecessary trips to crowded public spaces. Jim Tonkin, founder and president of Healthy Brand Builders (Scottsdale, AZ), says more consumers are buying sports drinks online, which carries several implications for the industry.

“The entire online business is exploding right now,” he says. “COVID-19 has opened up new territory for brands. Instead of buying a pre-made product at a convenience store, consumers will buy a tub of powder online and add it to a shake in the morning. There have been a ton of out-of-stocks because the supply chain has been interrupted.”

Tonkin says this shift toward online sales is creating more overhead for brands and distributors. E-commerce platforms like Amazon typically prefer not to sell liquid, as its weight makes it expensive to ship. But with significant consumer activity shifting away from in-store sales, e-commerce is where the bulk of sales opportunities exist these days.

This movement requires other changes as well. “Traditional in-store marketing activities used to be front and center prior to COVID, but you can’t do demonstrations in stores now,” Tonkin says. “So enticing consumers to try your product is a lot more challenging. A lot of companies now are using social media to deliver their message.”

Market Fundamentals Remain Strong Despite Pandemic

While some analysts predicted earlier in 2020 that the sports drinks market would take a sales hit, market analysts agree that the sector’s fundamentals remain stronger than initially forecasted. An e-commerce boost appears to have mitigated some of the drop in brick-and-mortar sales, and interest in functional beverages has grown since the start of the pandemic. Even after 2020’s unprecedented challenges, the sports drinks market in 2021 will likely offer opportunities for brands that can innovate and pivot.

Nutrition21 (Harrison, NY) has launched a beauty-from-within ingredient containing bonded arginine silicate (arginine silicon inositol complex) and Magnesium Biotinate (Nutrition21’s proprietary biotin formulation). Magnesium Biotinate significantly increases the biotin solubility by a multiple of 40, compared to standard D-biotin, says the company.

The combination of highly bioavailable biotin and silicon is designed to provide nutrition to and support the structure of hair and skin, while arginine supports blood flow for enhanced nutrient delivery and activity. A recent study published in the 

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Research

 found that the combination significantly improved hair thickness and reduced facial wrinkle depth. In the study, 90 subjects were given either a low dose Lustriva, high dose Lustriva, or placebo for 12 weeks. Results showed that both doses of Lustriva significantly improved the Wrinkles Indentation Index from baseline to week 3, compared to placebo, but only high dose Lustriva showed significant improvements in maximal wrinkle depth by the end of the study.

Both doses of Lustriva significantly improved facial fine lines over the course of the study, compared to placebo, but only high dose Lustriva showed significant improvements in skin texture, compared to low dose Lustriva and placebo. When it came to hair health, researchers measured this by the change in percent vellus and percent terminal hair, as well as the ratio of the two. Vellus hair is what we might refer to as peach fuzz, while terminal hair are the longer and thicker hairs we find on our bodies such as head hair, and facial hair. Only high dose Lustriva demonstrated significant changes in percent vellus and percent terminal hair, as well as the ratio of the two. Significance was reached as soon as week three, and remained significant at week 12.

Lustriva is GRAS (generally recognized as safe), and can be easily incorporated into a variety of products including supplements, functional foods, and RTD beverages. “This is an exciting launch for Nutrition21, and we are proud to bring this clinically-tested, patent protected ingredient to the beauty market,” said James Komorowski, MS, CNS, chief science officer of Nutrition21, in a press release. “Science is the biggest differentiator for Lustriva and gives us confidence that the market and consumers will embrace it. The other aspect that makes it stand out is the highly bioavailable forms of silicon, biotin, and arginine which can only be found in this product.”

“The U.S. beauty-from-within market generated more than $1.2 billion in sales in 2019 and is expected to expand to $1.6 billion by 2023; Lustriva is primed and ready to help grow this market,” added Elyse Lovett, MS, MBA, vice president of marketing. “The connection between beauty and nutrition is becoming clearer among savvy consumers who are using science-based ingredients to feel and look healthy; Lustriva will fit right into their health and beauty routines.” 

Kalman DS et al. “A randomized double-blind evaluation of a novel biotin and silicon ingredient complex on the hair and skin of healthy women.” 

Nutrition21 has launched a beauty-from-within ingredient containing bonded arginine silicate (arginine silicon inositol complex) and Magnesium Biotinate. A recent study showed efficacy for its use to support hair and skin health.  

Nutrition21 launches clinically-supported nutricosmetic that supports skin and hair health

Indena (Milan, Italy) has received authorization from the Italian Ministry of Health and Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) to produce cannabinoid-based cannabis extracts. With this authorization, Indena will produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid (CBD) for the global market for both clinical and commercial use. Indena is the first company in Italy to receive authorization from the Ministry of Health to manufacture cannabinoid-based cannabis extracts.

"We have been working a long time for this outcome. It is the result of an intense and fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the AIFA, for the construction of a rigorous approval process to guarantee the safety and control of production, both of the raw material and of the active principle,” said Stefano Togni, corporate director for business development and licensing at Indena SpA, in a press release. “We are aiming at the international pharmaceutical markets. As an Italian company, we are proud to be able to make this totally Italian product of the highest quality available globally, an ingredient expected all over the world for its beneficial effects on a number of pathologies.”

Indena uses registered varieties of hemp with THC levels less thatn 0.2% in accordance with European standards, which also guarantees compliance with U.S. standards defined by the FDA, and DEA. This has enabled the firm to promptly submit a drug master file for its CBD product to FDA. The hemp biomass used by Indena is processed in a pharmaceutical plant regularly authorized by AIFA and inspected by the main international regulatory agencies, including FDA. All production is in compliance with pharmaceutical good manufacturing practices.

Indena has received authorization from the Italian Ministry of Health and Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) to produce cannabinoid-based cannabis extracts. 

Indena authorized by Italian government to produce CBD

 introduced in California could prohibit the sale of weight management dietary supplements to consumers under the age of 18. The proposed legislation defines “dietary supplements for weight loss” as “a class of dietary supplements sold for or used with the intent to achieve weight loss that are lawfully sold, transferred, or furnished over the counter, with or without a prescription, under the regulation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 301 et seq.), and regulations adopted thereunder.” These may include, but are not limited to: “thermogens, lipotropics, hormones, including hormone modulators and hormone mimetics, appetite suppressants, and ingredients deemed adulterated under Section 342 of Title 21 of the United States Code.”

A violation of the law’s provisions would make retail establishments subject to a civil penalty of no more than $1,000, and subject to the Unfair Practices Act. Similar laws have been proposed in other states, including 

, though none have passed. The Natural Products Associations (NPA; Washington, D.C.) has launched a 

“The notion that this is even a priority during a pandemic and while California is facing its largest budget deficit in history is absurd,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of NPA, in a press release. “While this proposal is misguided, it is unfortunately becoming an alarming trend across the country as more states consider policies that would restrict access to nutritional supplements.”

The bill’s sponsors justify the bill citing an association between dietary supplements and eating disorders. NPA disputes this claim, saying that no such association has been proven. According to the trade association, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no adverse events or reporting associated with dietary supplements and eating disorders.

“Nutritional supplements are simply natural ingredients found in foods and restricting access to them is unfair to California consumers, hurts responsible retailers and drains the state budget through lost sales taxes. Nobody wins,” said Fabricant.

New state legislation introduced in California could prohibit the sale of weight management dietary supplements to consumers under the age of 18. 

New bill in California would restrict the sale of weight management products

The new distillery at night. Image courtesy of GPC

Grain Processing Corporation (GPC; Muscatine, IA), a member of the Kent Corporation family of companies, has opened a large, high quality, and efficient distillery capable of meeting demand for ethyl alcohol for the manufacture of essential products such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, mouthwash, cough & cold medicines, as well as active pharma ingredients, vaccine components and Covid-19 testing reagents.

“To produce alcohol to 1 ppm or less total impurities, there are no short cuts,” said Pat Homoelle, president of GPC, in a press release. “Our world-class quality sets us apart and is recognized by our trusted partners who depend upon us to consistently craft gallon after gallon for a range of products from beverage alcohol to pharmaceutical-grade applications.”

The new distillery is the result of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar capital investment, originally announced in 2015. When construction began, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the demand for high purity alcohol, and the project’s timeline was compressed to nearly eight months. The original startup date was July 2021.

“The accelerated completion of the distillery during the pandemic will go down as one of Kent Corporation’s greatest success stories during very challenging circumstances,” said Homoelle.

GPC credits the successful completion of the distillery to the dedication, expertise, and flexibility of its team. The accelerated timeline required additional contract labor and overtime hours, fast-track on equipment and material deliveries, as well as considerable project management and contractor oversite by multiple engineers.

Grain Processing Corporation has opened a large, high quality, and efficient distillery capable of meeting demand for ethyl alcohol for the manufacture of essential products such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, mouthwash, and cough & cold medicines.

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What could impact the sports drinks category in 2021?